Alexander Skarsgård’s Forgotten Adaptation Is Suddenly a Streaming Sleeper Hit

Alexander Skarsgard has been on our screens for 40-plus years (yes, that makes him 49 now), and while most folks still peg him as Eric Northman from True Blood, one of his earliest Hollywood swings is suddenly back in the conversation: HBO's Generation Kill. The mini is spiking on Apple TV's charts, there's heartbreaking news about one of its breakout actors, and Skarsgard just told a story about his first role that is, frankly, the most honest use of the word 'nepotism' you are going to hear this week.

Generation Kill is having a moment again

Based on journalist Evan Wright's book about embedding with Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Generation Kill has been climbing the US Apple TV charts this month. Per FlixPatrol's tracking, it cracked the Top 10 and peaked at No. 5 among most-watched series over the past few weeks. Not bad for a 2008 HBO mini that has lived in the 'oh yeah, that ruled' corner of the brain for years.

James Ransone, 46, has died

The resurgence comes with tough news. James Ransone, part of Generation Kill's then-up-and-coming ensemble, has died at 46. Fox News reports the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner lists the manner of death as suicide; he was found hanging, with the place of death recorded as 'shed.'

Ransone went on to a strong run after Generation Kill, turning up in The Wire and headlining horror hits like Sinister and IT: Chapter Two. He had been open over the years about surviving sexual abuse by a former tutor in 1992 and the drug addiction and mental health struggles that followed, including substance use during the Generation Kill shoot. He is survived by his wife, Jamie McPhee, and their two children, Jack and Violet.

• Ransone's notable work: Generation Kill, The Wire, Sinister, IT: Chapter Two
• Age: 46
• Manner of death: Suicide, per the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner
• Place of death in the report: 'shed'
• Family: Wife Jamie McPhee; children Jack and Violet
• Personal history he discussed publicly: childhood sexual abuse in 1992; long-term addiction and mental health struggles

Skarsgard on his first job: yeah, it was nepotism

Skarsgard is the eldest of the eight Skarsgard kids and, at this point, arguably the most high-profile. He told the story of his first-ever acting gig during a Variety Actors on Actors chat with his dad, Stellan Skarsgard. The short version: a legendary Swedish actor-director, Allan Edwall, was at their house, needed a seven-year-old for a movie, and Alexander happened to be seven. No audition, just proximity and a famous parent.

'Allan Edwall was over at our place. You guys were drinking wine. He was going to direct a film, and he needed a seven-year-old kid. I happened to be around and I happened to be seven, so he probably just asked you. Straight-up nepotism: That is how I booked the job. I do not even think I auditioned for it.'

He also admitted he did not want to be an actor back then. When attention hit at 13, it freaked him out enough that he walked away for more than eight years. The attempt at a 'normal' life eventually led him into the military, which is about as far from his bohemian family vibe as you can get. Clearly, he found his way back. Decades later, he has stacked roles across TV and film, with True Blood still the pop-culture siren and Generation Kill getting a second wind from a whole new wave of viewers.

Where to watch

Generation Kill is available to stream on Apple TV, where it has been charting in the US.